Exhaust filter



March 20, 1956 B. B. THROWER EXHAUST FILTER Filed May 17, 1954 R. a mm W. wN M 0% m Wm r T R \v.

Unitcd States Patent EXHAUST FILTER Ben n. Thrower, L08 Angeles, can. Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,170

Claims. (Cl. 183-43) fumes result from impurities in the gasoline and from incomplete combustion of the gasoline.- Partly as a result of such fumes, many large cities. in-this country face problems of smog and impure air. 5

Many attempts have been made toprevent the passage of undesirable fumes into the air as a result of gasoline combustion in automobile engines. However, the problem still exists andmay even be growing worse; This invention provides apparatus which can be easily attached to-an automobile tailpipe to absorb undesirable componcnts in the exhaust gases from an automobile. In addition to serving as a purifier, the apparatus includes componcnts which operate as a heat exchanger and as a mutfler. The apparatus ean'be mndeinexpeusively and has been found by actual teststn operate eficiently over long periods of time. v i

An object of this inventionds to provide. apparatus which can be attached to an automobile tailpipe. to filter the exhaust gases escaping through the tailpipe Another object is to provide apparatua oi theabove character for transferring beat out oi,thel=exhamt gases before the gases are filtered {or impurities.

A further object is.to provide apparatusofthe above character for mufiiing any noises in the gas stream after impurities have been removed from the screen.

Still another object is to provide. apparatus of .the above character which canzbe inexpensively manutactured, which can be easily attached to..the .tailpipes in carsfnow in around which operates reliably over long eriodrottirne. in} e Other objects and advantages will bo-. spperent from a detailed description 0! the invention and from the-appended drawings and claims.

In the drawings: r

Figure l is a sideclevationsl view, partly broken away to indicate components ,in section. of filtering apparatus constituting one embodiment of this invention; and

Figures 2 to). inclusive, are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2-4.,4-3, 4-4 and 5- -5, respectively, of Figured to illustrate in further detail certain components shown-in Figure l.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention. referr ng now to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, comprises-a cylindrical coupling 10 having a diameter such as 3 inches andsnadedrom a suitable materisl such as iron or steclwhieh is adapted to tlt snugly on an automobile tailpipe (not shown). A cylindrical 2,738,854 Patented Mar. 20,1956- ice housing 12 having a suitable diameter on the order of 5 inches and a suitable length such as 12 inches extends from the coupling 10. The housing, as best seen in Figures 1 and 5, has helical fins 14 extending about its outer periphery to provide for the dissipation of heat in the exhaust gases passing through the housing 12.

A first bafile 16 fits tightly within the housing 12 at a. position somewhat within the housing. The baffle 16. is made from a suitable material such as steel or iron having a thickness of approximately /h inch. A plurality of holes 18 each having a diameter-of approximately Vi inch are provided in the bafiie 16 for the passage of the exhaust gases through the baffle.

An annular spacer 20 fits loosely within the housing 12 in contiguous relationship to the heme 16. The spac r 20 properly positions a second bafie 22 a suitable distance from the baffle 16. The baflle 22 hascharacteristic similar to the battle 16 except that it has holes 24 which are staggered at: radial and arcuate distances with respect to the holes 18 to. increase the length of the path which the exhaust gases must travel. I The baffle 22 is separated fromfls. third Laiflc 26 by a spacer .28 corresponding to the spacer 20. The baffle 26 has holes 30 corresponding substantially in disposition to the holes 18 in the baffle 16. A plate 31 made from suitable material such as asbestos to provide suitable heat-insulating properties is disposed in contiguous relationship to-the baffle 2.2. plate 31 has holes 32 which1 are substantially aligned. with the holes 30in the baliie -26. 4

- A wire mesh retainer SLhaving wires separated by a proximately ,6 inch is mounted on a support ring 36 which fits-snugly .within the housing-12 and which may be suitably secured to the housing 12 as by spot welding. Thewiremcsh provides a barrier for preven ing particles of charcoal li'ti from moving into the holes 32 and 30 tqiclog the passageways for the exhaust gases. As be scenin Figure. l, the particles oicharcoal 3am; disposed within thehousing list an intermediate position along the axial length of the housing.

lfhe particles of charcoal 38 may be approximately A inch or slightly larger in size.- Small particles are desirable since they tend to increase the total surface arc presented by the charcoal to'thecxhaust gases and hereby improve the filtering action. However. the particles cann tbe too .small since they would otherwise pass through the holes in the wire mesh 34. Although. charcoal has bceu dcsignated, it should be appreciated that other mats?- rial may also be used.

-.Particles oi charcoal d8 aredisposed around conduit: 40" formed by rolling wirmtncsb into cylinders. The conduits-A0 may be dispo ed at r ndom withinthe. crosssectional arcaoi the housing 12.0r they may be disposed iriia -relatively neat andaymmctrical pattern such as is shown in Figure 3. In Figures land 3. the conduits 40 are also shown as extending 1am axial direction.

A second plurality of conduits 42 may be disposed $9 that their axes extend in a radial direction throughithe housing 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, or at any rate ina direction transverse to the axis of the housing. A third plurality of conduits 44 may be disposed adiuccnt to the conduits 42 and omewhat removed from the conduits 40.. The conduits 44 may also be disposed in a random fashion or they-may be disposed in a pattern corresponding to the conduits. as is illustrated in Fig. ure 1.

- A, support ring 46 corresponding to the ring 36 is suitably secured asby spot welding to the housing 12 at a position removed from the conduits 44 in the direction of gem-travel. The ring 46in turn supports a wire mesh retainer 48 corresponding to the mtalnecitdiscloud above. One leg of an annular U-shaped bracket 50 (Figure 1) is-also suitably secured as by spot welding to the housing 12 at the far end of the housing in the direction of gas travel. The other leg of the U-shaped bracket 50 is suitably secured as by spot welding to an outlet pipe 52having an inner diameter larger than the cylinder 10 but less than the housing 12. For example, when the coupling 10 and the housing 12 respectively have inner diameters of approximately 3 and 5 inches, the outlet pipe 52 has an inner diameter of approximately 4 inches.

Gasoline introduced into automobile engines is burned in the engine cylinders but for various reasons, the burning of the gasoline in the cylinders is not complete. This causes certain undesirable compounds such as carbon monoxide to be produced.- As is well known, carbon monoxide is harmful and even deadly in small quantities. Furthermore, certain undesirable compounds result from impurities in the gasoline.

The undesirable compounds resulting from incomplete combustion and impurities pass with the other exhaust gases from the engine and into the tailpipe. then pass through the coupling into the housing 12 and travel through the holes 18 in the bafile 16, the holes 24 in the bafile 22 and the holes in the bafiie 26.

As the'gases move past the 'baflies 16, 22 and 26, heat from the gases is conducted to the baffies. The heat is readily dissipated into the air as a result of the action of the helical fins 14. Heat also passes to the housing 12 and the fins 14 by convection and radiation. Such passage of heat is facilitated by the tortuous path which the gases must travel. This tortuous path results from the staggered disposition of the holes 24 relative to the holes 18 and 30.

After moving through the holes 30,-the gases move through the holes 32 in the asbestos plate 31, which oper- Ihe gases ates to serve as a heat barrier between the baflles such as the baflle 26 and the particlesof charcoal 38. The gases then travel through the bed of charcoal and the conduits 40, 42 and 44 embedded therein. During their travel through the charcoal embedded conduits, the undesirable components of the exhaust gases such as smoke, drops of unburned gasoline and certain chemicals become adsorbed by the charcoal. The gases then move through the wire mesh retainer 48 into the output pipe 52. Since the output pipe 52 has a larger diameter than the coupling 10, the gases do not build up any back pressures and pass into the air in a steady stream. This is important in enhancing the quiet operation of the apparatus and to eliminate buming of the exhaust valves of the vehicle engine.

The apparatus disclosed above has several important advantages. By eliminating the heat from the exhaust gases before subjecting the gases to any filtering action, the etncient operation of the charcoal filter over long periods of time is assured. The etficient operation of the charcoal filter over long periods of: time is also enhanced by the action of the conduits 40, 42, and 44 in preventing the charcoal from settling and packing. Packing of the charcoal is undesirable since it minimizes the external area presented by the charcoal particles to the gases. Because of the action of the conduits 40, 42 and 44, the charcoal 38 does not become packed even with the jarring forces imposed on the charcoal as the automobile travels over bumps.

It will thus be seen that the apparatus disclosed above operates not only as an efficient filter but also as a heat exchanger and mufiler. The apparatus performs these functions in a relatively small space and with relatively simple and inexpensive components. The parts are so arranged that they can be easily replaced from time to time if necessary. Actually, only the charcoal would have to be periodically replaced and it is easily accessible and inexpensive.

the scope of the appended claims.

l. A filter device of the type described, comprising: a coupling for receiving exhaust gases from an automo bile engine; a housing extending from the coupling; a plurality of baffles within the housing for dissipating heat in the exhaust gases, there being holes in each baflle disposed relative to the holes in the other battles to provide a tortuous travel path for the gases through the baflles; a plurality of charcoal particles disposed within the housing to filter undesirable components in the exhaust gases after the cooling of the gases; a plurality of relatively short length porous conduits'embedded within said charcoal particles to provide angularly related-dispersion paths for gases moving through said particles and to prevent the packing of the particlesj reticulated means disposed between the charcoal particles and the bafiies to prevent the movement of the particles towards the baffies; a plate disposed between the porous means and the baflies to thermally isolate the charcoal particles from the bafiles; an outlet pipe extending from the housing and having dimensions relative to the' coupling to provide for the smooth flow of the exhaust gases through the pipe; and reticulated means disposed between the charcoal particles and the outlet pipe to prevent the movement of the particles into the pipe.

2. A filter devicenfithe type described, comprising: a coupling memben-for'receiving the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine; ahousing flow-connected at one end to said vcouplingrmember; apertured plates mounted in spaced-apartrelationship transversely of said housing'withimtheendz-portion thereof adjacent said coupling member, the :apertures of each plate being disposed in staggerednrelationship tothe apertures in the adjacent plateswherebyrsaidvapertured plates define a plurality of tortuous *paths for exhaust gases entering said housing; finelements exteriorlyicarried by said end portion of the housingfor' dissipating heat of the exhaust gases conducted theretopa mass of relatively small filter particles disposed withinsaid housing to absorb undesirable components in-the exhaust gases passed through said tortuous paths; 'and-aplurality of conduits of reticulated material embedded-within said'filter particles and forming expansion chambers and conduits for dispersing and guiding'exha'ustgases in theflow path of the same through said housing, said conduits holding the filter particles againstpacking' and insuringdispersion of said exhaust gases throughoutsaid mass of filter particles.

3. A filter device of.-the type described comprising: a

coupling member for receiving the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine; a housing flow-connected at one end to said coupling member; apertured plates mounted in spaced-apart relationship transversely of said housing within the end portion thereof adjacent said coupling member, the apertures of each plate being disposed in staggered relationship to the apertures in the adjacent plates 'whereby said aper tured plates define a plurality of tortuous paths for exhaust gases entering said housing; fin elements exteriorly carried by said end portion of the housing for dissipating heatiof :the exhaust gases conducted thereto'ya mass of relatively small filter particles within said housing to adsorb undesirable components in the-exhaust gases passed therethrough; a plurality of conduits of reticulated material embedded within said mass of filter particles and forming expansion chambers and conduits for dispersing exhaust gases in the flow path of'the same through said housing, said conduits holding the filter'particles'against packing and insuring dispersion-of said exhaust gases throughout said mass of filter particles; and spaced apart means carried within said housing-for confining said filter particles and including means for retarding heat transfer from said exhaustgases moving through said tortuous paths to said particles.

4. A filter device of the type described, comprising: a housing to be flow-connected to the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine; means within the inlet end of said housing forming a plurality of tortuous passages for exhaust gases entering said housing; fin elements exteriorly carried by said housing for dissipating the heat of the exhaust gases moving through said tortuous passages; a pair of reticulated transverse wall members mounted in spaced apart relationship within said housing intermediate the ends thereof; a bed of relatively small filter particles confined within said housing between said wall members; a plurality of open ended conduits of mesh material embedded within said filter particles; a portion of said conduits having their axes angularly arranged relative to the flow-path of said exhaust gases through said housing, and at least some of said conduits being arranged within said bed of filter particles with their axes substantially aligned with the flow path of the exhaust gases through said bed.

5. A filter device as set forth in claim 4 in which said reticulated transverse wall member includes means for thermally insulating the means forming said plurality of tortuous passageways from the filter particles to maintain the temperature of the particles at a temperature less than the exhaust gases entering said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,024,204 Kindermann Apr. 23, 1912 1,422,211 Lamb July 11, 1922 1,522,111 Franck-Philipson Jan. 6, 1925 1,695,554 Markels Dec. 18, 1928 1,752,038 Sunday Mar. 25, 1930 1,756,897 Bilsky Apr. 29, 1930 2,004,865 Grison June 11, 1935 2,288,943 Eastman July 7, 1942 2,488,563 Sills Nov. 22, 1949 2,593,132 Gannon Apr. 15, 1952 

